CYTOKINE STORM and the INFLUENZA PANDEMIC: Is Tamiflu Effective?

After treating 41 victims of the H5N1 bird flu virus (19% of the world-wide cases of bird flu reported to date), a Vietnamese doctor has concluded that Tamiflu, the drug most widely stockpiled around the world to combat a potential bird flu pandemic, is "useless."

Dr. Nguyen Tuong Van, who runs the intensive care unit of the Center for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, followed World Health Organization guidelines in her treatment of 41 patients but concluded that Tamiflu had no effect on the disease.

"We place no importance on using this drug on our patients," Dr. Van said. "Tamiflu is really only meant for treating ordinary type A flu. It was not designed to combat H5N1 ... [Tamiflu] is useless."